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Katherine Gehl

Katherine Gehl

Keynote Speaker: Co-Chair of the National Association of Non-Partisan Reformers & Co-Founder of Democracy Fund

Katherine Gehl Biography

Katherine M. Gehl is a founding leader of the national nonpartisan political innovation movement, a former CEO, an author, and a philanthropist. She is the founder of The Institute for Political Innovation (IPI), a nonpartisan nonprofit organization founded in 2020 to contribute theory, scholarship, and strategy to catalyze model, modern political change in America. The first focus of IPI is supporting the cross-country movement for Final-Five Voting in American elections for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

The mission of IPI is animated by Politics Industry Theory, the groundbreaking body of work Katherine pioneered. Politics Industry Theory looks at America’s political system through an industry-competition lens in order to better understand its structure and problems, and, most importantly, to identity the most powerful and achievable solutions to those problems.

Politics Industry Theory has changed how the national reform community thinks about, talks about, and engages constituencies around “powerful-and-achievable” political change. Katherine’s key contributions to this include the 2017 Harvard Business School report, “Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America,” and the 2020 Harvard Business Review book, “The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy.” Both the report and the book were co-authored with renowned Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter, one of the world’s most influential thinkers on management and competitiveness.

Katherine’s work to better define the politics industry has sparked new strategies and organizations coast to coast who are working to convert theory into action. She collaborates with many of them, as her motivation to illuminate how politics really works was merely a means to change that system so it produces results in the public interest.

In 2018, Katherine co-founded Democracy Found, a cross-partisan initiative dedicated to establishing Final-Five Voting in Wisconsin for congressional elections. She is one of the leading advocates and supporters of cross-partisan coalitions supporting election innovation around the country. She was a supporter of the 2016 campaign to install ranked-choice voting in Maine. Today, she’s one of the leading advocates and supporters of Final-Four Voting in Alaska, and a leading member of the cross-partisan coalition to pass ranked-choice voting in Massachusetts.

Looking forward, IPI will offer support to upwards of 10 state-based campaigns for Final-Five Voting and is leading the effort to broaden the discussion and scholarship around political innovation, from the implementation and evaluation of electoral innovation, to changing the rules around lawmaking in Congress.

Politics Industry Theory and the innovation it encourages are products, in part, of Katherine’s decades of professional experience in high-level leadership across the private and public sector. Katherine is the former president and CEO of Gehl Foods, a $250-million high-tech food manufacturing company based in Wisconsin that she sold in 2015. Gehl Foods has a 120-year history: It began in a three-room-creamery in Germantown, Wisconsin, where Katherine’s great-grandfather endeavored to create a better butter. Gehl Foods became one of the most innovative companies in its FDA-regulated peer group.

Before leading Gehl Foods, Katherine worked for Oracle Corporation and Bernstein Investment Research and Management. She remains active in business today, and is a member of several corporate boards, including The Marcus Corporation, and West Bend Insurance. Katherine was confirmed in 2011 by the U.S. Senate to serve on the Board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Prior to OPIC, she worked for Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Office at the City of Chicago, and Chicago Public Schools.

She remains connected to cause-oriented work, both as a member of several boards—Unite America, New America, and Business for America—and as an influential philanthropist. She is also the honorary co-chair of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers. Katherine received a BA from the University of Notre Dame, an MA from the Catholic University of America, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She is a proud mother of two children.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Katherine Gehl and other top speakers and celebrities.

Katherine Gehl Videos

A powerful, nonpartisan solution to fix U.S. Politics | TEDxMileHigh
Political Innovation Will Save Us | Katherine Gehl
KATHERINE GEHL AND MICHAEL PORTER: WHY COMPETITION ...

How do I book Katherine Gehl to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Katherine Gehl for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Katherine Gehl, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Katherine Gehl or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Katherine Gehl for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Katherine Gehl, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Katherine Gehl, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Katherine Gehl speak about?

Katherine Gehl is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Women in Business, Empowerment, Influential Women, Female Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Business Leadership, Political, Innovation, Research & Exploration and Authors.

Where does Katherine Gehl travel from?

Katherine Gehl generally travels from Wisconsin, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Katherine Gehl?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Katherine Gehl for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Katherine Gehl for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Katherine Gehl or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Katherine Gehl is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Women in Business, Empowerment and Influential Women. Please contact us for live or virtual event fee details. Katherine Gehl generally travels from Wisconsin, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Joan Michelson, Sharon Gai and Allyson Kapin. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Katherine Gehl for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 12/07/2024.

Katherine Gehl Videos

A powerful, nonpartisan solution to fix U.S. Politics | TEDxMileHigh
Political Innovation Will Save Us | Katherine Gehl
KATHERINE GEHL AND MICHAEL PORTER: WHY COMPETITION ...
  • How do I book Katherine Gehl to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Katherine Gehl for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Katherine Gehl, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Katherine Gehl or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Katherine Gehl for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Katherine Gehl, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Katherine Gehl, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Katherine Gehl speak about?

    Katherine Gehl is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Women in Business, Empowerment, Influential Women, Female Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Business Leadership, Political, Innovation, Research & Exploration and Authors.
  • Where does Katherine Gehl travel from?

    Katherine Gehl generally travels from Wisconsin, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Katherine Gehl?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Katherine Gehl for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Katherine Gehl for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Katherine Gehl or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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KATHERINE GEHL

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